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Upanishads : " The Cream of Vedas"
Vedanta ( Veda +anta i.e; the end of Vedas ) as the literal meaning connotes comprises the philosophical portion of Vedas, called the Upanishads.
Of about 280 Upanishads unearthed so far, 108 have been accepted as authorised texts , and out of them have been commented upon by great Acharyas lika Sri Sankaracharya , Sri Ramanjacharya, Sri Madhavacharya and thus are classified as major.

But, as far as Jnani is concerned, as in the case of a 'Buddha, a Sankaracharya, a Ramanujacharya, a Madhvacharya, a Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a Vivekananda, an Aurobindo, a Ramana Maharishi, a Sivanada, a Krishnananda, a Tapovanam a Chinmayananda, there is no going and comming; they reach what is called as "Kaivalya Mukti" ( Pure liberation ) or "Sadyo Mukti" ( immediate liberation ) or " Jivan Mukti " in this very life.

There is no going to this place or that for them; for they have "become the all" while here itself.

Those, who, not only perform the Yajna-s and Yaga-s, but along with these, also meditate upon the great Truth of our philosophy ( i.e, those who perform 'Karma' and Upasana), at death leave the body and take the northern route ( Utharayanam ) and, through the corridors of the "Sun," go beyond and enter the Brahma lokam, the Supreme-most world of the Creator.

There, these lucky souls not only live of the higher joy, but also attend to the great discources given out to them by Brahmaji, the first Guru of "Brahma-Vidya.

It is a belief that they, along with the creator, at the end of the "Yugam," during the "Pralayam," get merged with the Supreme Absolute Awar…

Discussion-2. " Surya dvarena ( the path/orb of the Sun ) ... third line of the mantram....."

Though the orb ( path ) of the Sun ( Surya dvarena ) :

The route taken by the subte body after death in the world are of two kinds :

1. the Moon - path and 2. the Sun - path.

The Sun - path is called is called "Uttarayanam" and the Moon - path the "Dakshinayanam."

It is the theory of Vedantam that those who merely perform 'Karma-s,' on departing from here ( after - death )take to the southern path i.e, "Dakshinayanam" to live in the "Pitrulokam" ( World of his ancestors ); and enjoying there for an interval, the come back
( to this world ).

Comparing the slaves of ritualism with the men of Realisation, 'Sruti' is bringing forth the glory of 'Sannyasam' to the forefront by this mantram.

'Mother Sruti' says that those who perform 'Karma-s' with the desire-born motives reach only temporary joys, from where they will have to come back to this painful finite world of mortality.

On the other hand, those rare few who gained the required spirit of renunciation, and who have retired into the life of meditation in solitude, depending for their existence only upon help reaching them in unexpected chances ---- to them, 'Sruti' promises a perfect success.

Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description of the sad state of knowledge-less ( devoid of Upasana ) rituals ]

Mantram-10.

Discussion-4. "What Upanishads say about the above two "ISTA and PURTA" ......"

"The Upanishad-s say that one should be a 'Colossal Fool' to claim that these ( Ista and Purta ) and these alone constitute the Supreme most act of divinity, and that there is nothing superior to it."

This condemnation of the Scriptures is because the meritorious acts of both the categories, in their reactions, only provide for us subtler field of experiences, caled the "Heavens."

One who has thus gained 'heavens', as result of the meritorious act performed by him here below, will have one day, on exhausting the merit-balance against him, to return back to the lower planes of C…

Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description of the sad state of knowledge-less ( devoid of Upasana ) rituals ]

Mantram-10.

Discussion-3. "Meritorious acts ......"

Meritorious acts are divided into two groups by our ancient Rishi-s on the basis of the text-book that allow it.

These noble acts of spiritual merit, advocated in the "Sruti-s" called "ISTA"***, constitued the "Yajna-s" and "Yaga-s";

and those prescribed in the "Smriti-s" constituted the digging of a well, opening a path, building of a hospitals, schools, feeding the poor, tending the sick, helping education etc., which is called "PURTAM".

Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description of the sad state of knowledge-less ( devoid of Upasana ) rituals ]

Mantram-10.

Discussion-2. "Mint-house-intellects and Bank-hearts ............"

Today, the so-called educated class, in their spiritual illiteracy, cry down the very vital life of meditation, because, with their "Mint-house-intellect and Bank-hearts," they read nothing but their own "Cheque-Book-Scriptures ( Leaves )," and their own sins come to haunt them.

Naturally, they cannot understand any life more happy than the life of sighs, tears and sweat.

That desire-prompted-actions alone constitute life, was a theory as old as the scriptures and this is evident from the 'Mantram in the Sruti'.

But, that advocacy of the greater life of meditation is also equally ols, is seen in the very fact that …

Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description of the sad state of knowledge-less ( devoid of Upasana ) rituals ]

Mantram-10.

Discussion-1. " Karmam and Jnanam" .....

Never was the world without this bitter controversy between the two principles of life, namely, (1).laborious, extrovert action and (2). peaceful introvert seeking.

'KARMA JNANAM'have been at tug-of war, unbroken at all times, and this endless controversy itself, we may say, was the main 'motive-force,' which have "HINDUISM" such a perfect and tight "Science" of "Spiritualism.'

This strength never realised by the Bharatheeya people passed on by way 'Rishi parampara' through 'Mother Sruti'.

"The so called instrument 'Secularism' is mis-used by politicians and the so-called minorities, take advantage of this …

Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description of the sad state of knowledge-less ( devoid of Upasana ) rituals ]

Mantram-9.

Discussion- 4. Summation .

This is equal to saying tat these men, wise, energetic, devoted and sincere, when in them ritualism has fulfilled itself ---- pursue this wrong path of wasteful stupidity only because of the germs of "desires," that still breed in their hearts.

Now the diagnosis is complete and the cure is suggested by scriptures.

In every religion in the world, there is one and the same way, namely, to be intelligently discriminative and be poignantly aware of the world of objects.

In the following mantra-s, we have the prescription given out by the "Mother Sruti" herself.

Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description of the sad state of knowledge-less ( devoid of Upasana ) rituals ]

Mantram-9.

Discussion-2. "ritualism is but a market-place ......"

To such seekers, titualism is but a market-place, where they pay the price to get the thing that they want.

Prompted by desires and, wishing to purify them by fulfilling them they perform the karma - s as advised in the Veda-s.

We have already seen in the beginning, how desires only multiply as each desire gets fulfilled, unless the sources of eruption of desires is dried up or choked.

Why such learned 'pandita-s', in spite of their great knowledge should, till death, waste their time, energy and attention only in performing 'Karma-s' and not dare to go beyond the planes of this initial spiritual training, is explained in this …

Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description of the sad state of knowledge-less ( devoid of Upasana ) rituals ]

Mantram - 8.

Discussion-3. " But it is not. "..... to explain this an example follows....".

When your child is in the elementary classes, you have to insist that child should daily read and learn the multiplication table.

But, when he has come to the standard of pure mathematics, it should be absurd if you are to insist that he/she should yet read and learn every day the multiplication table, even during his post-graduate studies!

In primary classes, arithmetic-tables were to him, certainly his Bible, but in the college-classes, it is redundant, in as much as, the student by then has amassed the knowledge.

Similarly, rituals have an elementary purpose, without which nothing higher is possible;

Mantram - 8 to 10. [ Description of the sad state of knowledge-less ( devoid of Upasana ) rituals ]

Mantram - 8.

Discussion-2. "Sruti ........."

We must not forget that this 'Sruti,' at the same time, belongs to Vedam, and the Veda-s being eternal knowledge, shall not suffer any contradiction.

In the earlier part of the Veda-s viz. , in the 'Karma-kandam' there is a sincere advocacy of the performance of the 'Krma-s; later on in the Upanishadik portion, we find in mantram-s like these, a vehement condemnation of the same.

This would like as though it is palpable contradiction;

Next : Discussion-3. " But it is not. "..... to explain this an example follows....".

The very scheme of this section is to laugh at all fanatical ritual - mongers, and to win those individuals, in whom ritualism has fulfilled, back to the greater endeavors in higher meditations.

Sruti has pointed out the enormous responsibility of a ritualistic and the terrible difficulty in performing a yajnam properly, strictly to the prescription given by the Vedam-s.

Not being satisfied with these, the Sruti here, out of her extreme love for mankind, pities and laughs at those who have allowed themselves to be shackled in the little world of desire - prompted actions.